Method of conditioning paper for coating machines



Oct. 19 1926.

w. A. DECHAU 7 ETHOD OF CONDITIONING PAPER FOR COATING MACHINES Filed March '17, 1926 Patented Oct. 19, 1926.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. DECHAU, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN RIBBON AND CARBON COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF CONDITIONING PAPER FOR COATING MACHINES.

Application filed March 17, 1926. Serial No. 95,484.

Carbon paper is a combination of a particular kind or kinds of paper having certain qualities together with certain dope which will be absorbed by or carried on the paper and from which impressions can be made in writing, typewriting, etc. This dope is coated on the paper by a machine. The paper used is in large rolls'and is fed through the machine in a web that is continuous as long as the roll lasts. More or less trouble is experienced in keeping the paper smooth and free from wrinkles while it is being fed through the machine. These wrinkles frequently appear in certain makes of paper giving a ,wavy effect to thepaper,

the waves running lengthwise with the web or diagonally across it and frequently remain in the carbon paper after it is coated. This makes the carbon paper objectionable. In some makes of paper these wrinkles do not appear and in other makes of paper they doappear, and sometimes they appear in a make ofpaper in which otherwise they are free. Various mechanical devices have heretofore been resorted to to smooth out the paper such as revolving brushes, etc. all of which are open to more or less objection, Attempts have also been made to smooth out the paper by passing it over one or more steam heated rolls but this is not to be depended upon.

I have discovered that by suitably heating the web of paper and possibly drying it as well to some extent while it is in open suspension that the paper will then pass through the machine free from wrinkles and will remain smooth during the coating and drying operation, and a perfectly smooth sheet of carbon paper will result from the paper so treated. Therefore, the object of my invention is to provide a method of treating the paper by the application of heat while it is suspended in the open and an apparatus by which it is so treated so that the paper will,run smooth in consequence thereof. For this purpose I prefer an ordinary Bunsen gas burner. This and other objects of my invention will be fully illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a standard type of machine for coating carbon paper to which my invention has been applied.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings 1 and 2 represent the up rights of the frame of the machine in which are supported the rollers over which the paper travels and which rollers may be driven in an suitable manner and some of which run i le as may be desired. 3 and 4 represent uprights that support the spindle 5 on which the supply roll 6 is carried. From this the paper web 7 is drawn which web passes over idle rollers 8 and 9. It then makes contact with the hot dope roller 10 which revolves in the dope pan 11. From the dope roller it passes on to the wire wound rod 12 which distributes the dope evenly thereon and then passes over the I idle roller 13. From there it passes over the roller 14: which is usually steam heated and from thence it passes over the gas heated drying oven 15 onto the roller 16 which is usually kept cold to chill the paper. It then passes under the roller 17 and is finally wound up on the completed roll 18.

It is in the stretch between. the idle rollers 8 and 9 and just before it passes to" the coating roll that the Wrinkles usually occur and from this part of the web the wrinkles must be removed if a satisfactory product is to be secured. Otherwise the finished paper will not only have wrinkles therein, but the paper will not be evenly coated. I have found that by suitably heating this portion of the paper the wrinkles are removed and for this purpose, I have provided a gas burner 25 which is about as long as the web of paper is wide, and with this burner a mixture of gas and'air is burned substantially the same as in a Bunsen burner. Above this burner is placed a hood or baflie plate 26 which has sloping sides, and in which suitable openings 27, 27 are placed so that the hot gases and air arising from the combustion can pass therethru and be distributedthereby so as to make suitable con- 100 tact with the paper or circulate properly in contact with it. The plate 26 is supported by the uprights 28, 28 so that the burner will be protected against drafts and proper circulation will be secured. By us- 105 ing this device I have found that paper that could otherwise not be used because of the formation of wrinkles therein can be used and coated successfully and properly because heating the paper in this portion of the web just before the coating takes place dries the paper or draws the wrinkles out of the paper and causes the paper to run smooth thereafter. I have tried heating the paper by passing it over one or more hot rolls but such heating does not secure the desired results. It seems from my experiments and demonstration that the heat can best be applied to the paper web for this purpose while it is in suspension between the rolls so that it can absorb the heat gradually and over a considerable area, while it is free to expand or contract or readjust itself during the application of the heat, and drying that may incidentally occur at that time. This makes the paper run smooth so that it can be evenly coated.

I claim:

, 1. The method of smoothing the wrinkles out of a moving web of paper suspended be tween two rollers which consists in heating the suspended web of paper from below by a Warm blast applied over a considerable area.

2. The method of smoothing the wrinkles out of a moving web of paper which consists in suspending it between two rollers and heating the suspended web of paper exposed between the rollers from below by a warm blast of air applied over the width of the web and along a considerable length of the web.

3. The method of smoothing the wrinkles out of a moving web of paper which consists in suspending it between two rollers and heating the suspended web of paper eX- posed between the rollers by the warm, blast of air arising from the Bunsen burner placed transversely of the Web and sufficiently below the paper to distribute the heat arising therefrom over a considerable area of the paper. i

4. In a paper coating machine for coating a web of paper, means for drawing the web of paper through the machine, a pair of rollers between which the web is suspended, a Bunsen burner located transversely below the web with which heat can be generated, said burner being located far enough below the paper web'to distribute the heat therefron'r over a considerable area of the web and avoid undue heating of any part of the web, a baflie plate placed over said Bunsen burner to equalize the distribution of heat as it rises from the burner to the paper, said baflie plate having openings therein to allow heat from the burner to pass therethru against the paper web.

5. The method of smoothing the wrinkles out of a moving web of paper which con sists in suspending it between two rollers and heating the suspended web of paper exposed between the rollers by the warm blast of air arising from a heat source placed transversely of the web and sufficiently below the paper to distribute the heat arising therefrom over a considerable area of the paper.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM A. DECHAU. 

